Black Morels
Edibility - Superior
Health Benefits - Excellent
Morchella elata
Photo taken by Calvin De Jong
Description
Classification
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Kingdom Fungi
Division Ascomycota
Subdivision Pezizomyctina
Class Pezizomycetes
Order Pezizales
Family Morchellaceae
Genus Morchella
Species M. elata
Cap Height 12mm - 50mm
Cap Width 12mm - 37mm
Spore print cream to light yellow
Odor & taste mild, nutty flavor
Edibility edible
Stipe smooth to slightly ridged or wrinkled
Cap conical, with a pitted surface
Mycelium white
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Morchella elata, the Black Morel fungi, fruits from March to June and is a very popular edible fungus. It's typically black with light brown shades in the honeycomb pockets with a white to off white stipe ( stem ). The cap looks a lot like a honeycomb with black to brownish-black ridges, and yellowish-brown pits they are completely hollow and separated from the stipe, only being attached at the tip of the cap and bottom on the stipe.
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Distribution and habitat
Black morels typically grow in small groups, in semi disturbed areas and in burn areas, fire morels like to grow in pine and spruce stands. They love to grow where the needle bed is reddish and are often found in between tree roots or the shade of fallen timber. You won’t have much luck where regrowth has started, that is typically where the ground has already ‘greened up’.
Tree association spruce, pine, ash, tulip, cottonwood, aspen.
Soil needle duff.
Fruiting time spring, early summer, April-June.
Fruiting temprature 40-50 °F
Uses & Benefits
Black morels are an excellent addition to your diet, they contain a significant amount of nutrients like Iron, Copper, Manganese, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamin D, Folate, Niacin, Riboflavin and a decent dose of Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, Selenium, Thiamine, Vitamins E and B6. Some of the amazing benefits you will receive from this delicious mushroom are protection from oxidative stress, which can cause some severe conditions like cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, and diabetes types 1 and 2 this is due to the high levels of antioxidants. It can also enhance liver function and boost your immune system while protecting you from some viral infections.
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Parts used:
Fruiting body
Mycelium
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Health benefits:
Boost immune system
Aid in liver function
Cancer-fighting
lower cholesterol
Anti-inflammatory
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Ways to use:
Cooked
Extracts
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Referances:
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morchella_elata
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Calvin De Jong
Content Writer/Photographer
I am a naturalist from the Okanagan. My passions are taken photos of nature and foraging all its wonders.